WATCH: Water gushes from spillway in test at Strom Thurmond Lake

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday tested the spillway gates at Strom Thurmond Lake, something that’s always a popular thing to watch.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the team opened all 23 spillway gates two feet. The test took about two hours.

Like always, the public came out to watch, sitting on lining grassy areas along the lake to watch the spectacle.

“Amazing. You’re almost crying if you see it. It’s just emotional,” said Anz Klare, who is visiting from the Netherlands.

Many come from near and far to watch the spillway gates open.

“It is something that everybody should try to come to see at least once in their lifetime,” said Andy Jackson.

These 23 floodgates play an important role throughout the CSRA.

Scott Hyatt, operations project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Strom Thurman Dam, said: “This structure is the primary flood protection for everything downstream city of Augusta, North Augusta, the communities in Evans and so it does play a vital role in flood protection.”

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Hyatt says they try to check the gates every one to three years in case they are needed in emergency flood situations.

“They’re checking for vibrations. They’re checking to make sure that the equipment operates electrically the way that it’s supposed to, and they don’t observe anything else out of the ordinary,” said Hyatt.

Hundreds of people gathered to watch more than 400,000 gallons of water per second fall of the lake.

Tim Whittle said: “I’ve never seen it up close, but you know TV and stuff. You know you see this kind of stuff happen. But I was pretty excited. I keep hoping I’ll see some fish come out of it.”

Hyatt said: “It’d be an insignificant amount compared to the size of the lake, it’s an 80,000-acre lake, and it’s over 150 feet deep at the dam. So, we’ll have an impact of less than a 10th of an inch on the lake elevation most likely for the day.”

While it may look like a lot of water is leaving the lake, at the end of the day, it’s an important structure with a nice view.

“It’s like our own little version of Niagara Falls or something. We just turn it on every once in a while, and people love to come out and see it. You get a nice cool breeze off of there and a little bit of mist. It makes for a really enjoyable morning,” said Hyatt.

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